Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton are the key teams for the Gameweek 3 Scout Picks XI.
Each of these clubs has provided two players to the latest selection, chosen from the Scout Squad submissions made by David, Neale, Tom and Andy.
It’s a 4-4-2 formation this time around, coming in at £82.9m, £0.1m inside our budget.
GOALKEEPER
Emi Martínez (£4.5m) was the most popular budget goalkeeper on our Scout Squad panel this week, as Aston Villa visit Fulham. The former Arsenal man is fully capable of producing points from a range of different avenues. Only Tim Krul made more saves than him during Project Restart, while Villa were inside the division’s top five for fewest big chances conceded during that period (despite playing more matches). Dean Smith’s men got off to the perfect start this time around, keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Sheffield United.
DEFENDERS
There was plenty of support for Liverpool defence ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Anfield and, due to budgetary reasons, we have selected Andrew Robertson (£7.0m). So far this season, the left-back has created more big chances than Trent Alexander-Arnold, and two more shots in the box than him. The Gunners have also conceded more chances from their right flank than their left during the first two matches of the season.
Lucas Digne (£6.1m) could be in for returns at both ends of the pitch against Crystal Palace. The Eagles were the lowest scorers in home matches last season while Everton are currently in the Premier League’s top five for expected goals conceded (xGC). Meanwhile, Digne was heavily involved in the 5-2 win over West Bromwich Albion and unfortunate not to come away with attacking returns. No Everton player was the target of more passes in the final third for that match and he hit the crossbar with a second-half direct free-kick.
It might be another week before Chelsea start becoming more reliable for clean sheets, as Eduoard Mendy has only just arrived. However, Reece James (£5.1m) is yet another defensive asset capable of drawing on several different avenues for points. Even if the Blues can’t keep out West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the versatile full-back already has a goal and assist to his name this season and, as we’ll explain in more detail shortly, the Baggies’ defence has been poor so far this season.
Romain Saïss (£5.1m) remains one of the most nailed-on Wolves defenders ahead of a trip to West Ham. Despite conceding three goals to Manchester City on Monday night, Nuno Espirito Santo’s backline remains the most productive since Gameweek 25 of last season, recording a league-high 10 clean sheets in that time. Meanwhile, Saïss has more shots in the box than any Wolves defender so far this season.
MIDFIELDERS
Mohamed Salah (£12.1m) looks a sure inclusion for Gameweek 3 as Arsenal visit Anfield. The penalty-taking Egyptian netted a hat-trick in his last home match and is already joint-top of the league for shots in the box and goal attempts on target so far this term. Salah scored twice the last time the Gunners came to Liverpool as he registered 19 of last season’s 29 attacking returns (65.5%) in home matches.
One match into the season and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.6m) already looks like a must-own asset. Freed from defensive duties in midfield, the Belgian excelled in a number 10 role at Wolves on Monday night shooting straight into the division’s top 10 for key passes and shots on target, despite playing fewer matches than most.
Son Heung-min (£9.0m) was the man of the moment as Spurs thrashed Southampton 5-2 in Gameweek 2. After two matches this season, no player has registered more shots on target than the South Korean, who has also been afforded the joint-most big chances in the division during that period.
Daniel Podence (£5.6m) has the potential to offer decent value as Wolves travel to West Ham on Sunday evening. He has assisted in both outings so far this season and, even if competition for the front-three might increase soon, the Portuguese winger has done enough to start again on merit – and Nuno Espirito Santo has already hinted that new right-back Nelson Semedo will take some time to settle at Wolves. Thus far, only one Premier League player has fashioned more big chances than Podence.
FORWARDS
A trip to West Bromwich Albion is the perfect match-up for Timo Werner (£9.5m), who is yet to find his first Premier League goal. While the Baggies have conceded the joint-most number of shots in the box over the first two matches, they have also given up two penalties. During that time, Werner has won two of his own, and may even get the chance to take one considering Jorginho missed a spot-kick against Liverpool and could lose his place in the team for Gameweek 3.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.3m) has recaptured the form he boasted when Carlo Ancelotti first arrived at Everton, scoring four goals in the first two matches of 2020/21. Crystal Palace should pose a sterner test than West Bromwich Albion did, but they have conceded four big chances so far this season – only five teams have given up more than that over the same period. If any Everton player is going to score at Selhurst Park, the fact that Calvert-Lewin is joint-top of the league for shots on target suggests it will be the mid-price forward.
Substitutes
Vicente Guaita (£5.0m) could be the man to frustrate owners of Everton assets in Gameweek 3. He is the early season-leader for saves (eight) and has the second-highest expected goals prevented (xG Prevented) score after the first two matches.
Jimmy Dunne (£4.0m) is the latest budget defender to emerge as a starting option. Injuries to James Tarkowski and Ben Mee have seen him thrust into the first-team picture alongside Kevin Long.
Only West Bromwich Albion have conceded more shots on target or chances from set plays than Fulham thus far. That could work out for Jack Grealish (£7.0m) who was unfortunate to blank against Sheffield United on Monday night.
Ollie Watkins (£6.0m) gets onto the Scout Picks bench for the same reasons. His pace and power is likely to cause Fulham all sorts of problems in Gameweek 3.
THE CAPTAIN
The Scout Picks captain is chosen using a four-way vote between our Scout Squad pundits.
Because the use of Fantasy Football Scout data is used so heavily in this process, the skipper we choose each Gameweek is known only to those with a valid Fantasy Football Scout subscription and revealed to the public only when the deadline has passed.
Here’s how we voted for Gameweek 3:
COMMUNITY CHAMPION
Each week, one of the Fantasy Football Scout community takes on the Scout Picks by pitting their chosen XI against ours.
The Community Member who beats our team by the biggest margin will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Moderators and Contributors League for the following season.
AA33 was the first to vanquish the Scout Picks this year and may take some beating, winning by 96 points to 43, a whopping 53-point margin.
That result was the equaliser for the community champions, who are currently tied 1-1 with the FFS editorial team after the first two Gameweeks.
DAZZ takes on the Scout Picks for Gameweek 3, opting for a 3-5-2 line-up of Lloris; Doherty, C Taylor, K Long; De Bruyne (vc), Son, Mahrez (c), Havertz, Grealish; Werner, Jiménez.
